What do you all think about this newly emerging phenomenon of physicians who only accept cash?

[Mike 03]

As someone who is not insured but wants my doctor to be able to choose which tests are best and most sensible rather than arguing forever with an insurance company, I am a big proponent of this idea.

Also, some doctors are providing discounts to patients who pay in cash precisely because it saves them so much time and risk of being unpaid.

On the downside, these can often be "Urgent Care Centers" rather than having a regular doctor you can call your own. This might not be someone you refer to as your own physician, but someone you just end up seeing because you are having an emergency and do not have a general practitioner.

So it's not as friendly as having your own GP.

In general, I like the idea. But I am curious what others think.

Would you be willing to pay cash, on the spot, for better medical care?

[bbinacan]

1. I haven't heard of this. n/t

[wtmusic]

2. I think it's great

and actually will improve care by increasing competition.

Without the obfuscatory layer of insurance billing people will be able to see exactly what they get, and for how much.

[lolly]

3. If most people could afford to pay cash

There wouldn't be any issue of insurance or health costs.

Sure, I'd be willing to pay cash if a dr visit was, say, 40$. But the minimum at my dr. is 90$--just for a "minimal" visit.

Plus medicine.

And if you need to go to a hospital--who can afford that? A few thousand just to check in.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. We can create our own universal health care service...and cut out the insurance co.s

It would turn out cheaper for us than paying for health insurance.
The doctors will be thrilled to be done with all the paperwork.
They will have more time to spend with the patients.
We can go to any doctor we want to.

[northernlights]

5. my dentist accepts cash

as did my previous dentist, and all of them before that. I get a discount for not being insured, because I save them so much paperwork. It's $70-90 for cleaning plus x-rays. He keeps my teeth in good health.

My vet accepts cash and I get decent care for my dogs.

If you take good care of yourself, it works out well. At least, for me.

I have no insurance and I don't worry about it. When I *did* have insurance and got sick, 25 years ago, the hmo doctor basically told me to beat it and left me to die. I'd rapidly lost 20% of my body weight (from 104 to 84) and had a number of other symptoms. It was too much trouble for them to run a test, and it turns out a simple CBC (about $10 at the time) would have shown them that it was *not* all in my head. I ended up paying cash at a holistic health center. I'm alive today in part because of them.

[subterranean]

6. I only pay cash anyway, so I think it's a fine idea.

If the doctor offers discounts for cash payment, so much the better.

[Deja Q]

21. Nobody's indispensable.

Wait for your turn.

[JanMichael]

7. It's stupid. Flat out the last gasp of a dumbass system that is failing.

The physician that my wife wants to see? 800 bucks upfront.

Yeah...we can afford it (by the skin of our damned teeth) but how many others can?

No. This plan sucks ass.

[OhioChick]

8. One of my kid's specialists only accepts cash....

It's a pain in the butt for me. Not only is the appt. expensive, but I then have to send out the claim to the insurance company for reimbursement. (I get all sorts of excuses....We lost it, etc.) By the time I get reimbursed for the initial first.....I have 3 more claims to file.....and a balance on my credit card gathering interest. :(

[Bread and Circus]

9. I have mixed feelings about it...I'm tagging this so I can try to contribute later.

I got to go take the kids to dinner now.

[napoleon_in_rags]

10. He said, "Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash."

"The doctor says he's coming, but you gotta pay him cash."
They went rushing down that freeway,
messed around and got lost
They didn't know they were just dying to get off
And it was life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane

-The Eagles

[latebloomer]

11. Well, as someone whose insurance co. paid $375K in 2007

to treat me for leukemia, including saving my life with a stem-cell transplant-

Nah, I don't think so!

I was always healthy and took good care of myself. You just never know. . .

PS- I must also add that on the whole, insurance companies suck. But I had a pretty good one.

[cabluedem]

13. You mean you HAD a good insurance plan and/or your job paid for a good health-plan. The plans they

are using now at cut to the bone unless you go with the highest premium plan they have. 5 dollar co-pays for drugs are now 20 or 30 for instance. The PPO plans suck the worst but are the least costly.....until you get sick. SINGLE PAYER NOW!

[latebloomer]

16. We were self-employed and paid beaucoup bucks

for a really good plan.

Now we're on my husband's job insurance and it is noticeably worse.

Yes, single-payer!

[formercia]

20. If you're young and healthy, it's great.

My wife and I have run up over $300 K US medical expenses in the last couple of years. Without insurance, we would have lost everything and been in debt forever.

[area51]

12. Kick. (n/t)

[spanone]

14. my dentist has been like that for many years...you pay him then you file your insurance claim

i don't blame him one bit

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. I know someone who died because he kept going to different urgent care facilties

instead of one doctor who could have seen ALL his symptoms.

[World Traveller]

17. During my childhood, paying cash to the doctor was normal

This was in the 1950's, when a lot of medical plans did not cover doctor's visits, only major medical stuff, like hospital stays, operations, etc.

We always paid cash without insurance reimbursement (that is my parents!) for visits to the doctor's office, for the flu, measles, headaches, things like that.

I think this is another symptom of how America is reverting to a simpler, more cash-based society, where credit will not flow freely as it has in recent past.

And maybe it's not such a bad thing, credit is essentially a claim on future earnings and income, and forces people to be in the mode of always "catching up".

Longer term, I think it's better to only use credit for true investments, things like education or business start-ups. Not for non-essential consumer items. It saves a lot of money in the long term, because you're not being bled dry by interest payments to the bank.

[Diana Prince]

18. I think it is a horrible idea.

When our youngest child was born we had no insurance. My husbands employer had been promising to get it but never did. We had to pay out of pocket for everything. Prenatal visits ended up being over $4500 dollars alone. The hospital part was over $6,000 and I had a relatively healthy pregnancy and birth. I was induced a week before my due date because of high blood pressure. If something had gone wrong we would have been in real trouble.

My SIL had to go see a neurologist and he would except cash ONLY, no types of insurance. The office visit was $800, this did not include any testing. Thankfully she was able to afford it. How many people can though.

I am all for single payer insurance but until that time comes I think doctors should accept insurance. So what if it takes a little time to process the forms.

[ThomWV]

19. I think its a great idea

If people had to pay in cash I can guarantee you that the cost of medical care would come down in one very big hurry.